Crucify Him!

 

 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"  So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"  Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. 

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.  

Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

 

- Mark 15:12–21 

 

Yesterday we read that immediately, in the morning following Jesus' night trial at the home of the high priest, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.  Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.  

 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"  So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"  Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.  Pilate turns to the crowd, hoping to release Jesus (whom he knows to be innocent) in spite of the chief priests, but the crowd senselessly follows wherever they are stirred up to go.  My study Bible comments here that Pilate's sin was less than that of the Jewish leaders who delivered Christ to him (John 19:11), because the Jews had the Law and the prophets to instruct them, and Pilate did not.  Pilate was not without sin, however, for in his own desire to gratify the crowd, he knowingly sent an innocent Man to death.  

 

 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.  My study Bible notes here that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is to mock Christ, it is prophetic that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor.  In this understanding, see also John 11:49-51, in which Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ redemptive work.  My study Bible comments that this mockery shows Jesus as the One despised and rejected by human beings who bears the iniquity of all of us (see Isaiah 53:3-9).  Jesus is clothed with purple, a kind of deep purple-red called porphyra/πορφύρα in Greek, which represents both His royalty and the sins of humankind which He has taken upon Himself.

 

 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.  My study Bible notes here that Mark mentions Simon as the father of Alexander and Rufus.  It notes that this is likely so because they were still living, and therefore possibly known to Mark's hearers.  It says that the spiritual message here is that we, like Simon (whose name means "obedience"), are not simply called to carry the cross which Christ sets on us.  But we are also to see Christ in others, so we are called to bear each others burdens as well (Galatians 6:2). 

Possibly the most striking thing in today's reading is the way this crowd responds so easily to being "stirred up" by the chief priests, to demand to  put Jesus to death by crucifixion.  The crowd first demands, as is the custom, that a prisoner be released to them because of the Passover feast.  But it's as if they were simply waiting for a prompt, primed by their own mood to demand and to shout.  The crowd turns into a mob, not asking for clemency for a prisoner, but now demanding the blood of Christ in the most gruesome form of punishment reserved for the worst of criminals.  "Crucify Him!" they shout.  It is as if the worst in human nature is something the chief priests know well, and use to their advantage.  For this crowd would seek not just to release someone to freedom, but to demand that another be crucified, to demand the worst punishment for someone else.  It's not clear if this crowd knows Jesus.  It's not clear if they were present on the day of the Triumphal Entry, when Christ was welcomed into Jerusalem as Messiah.  As Jesus Himself said at His arrest at night in the garden of Gethsemane, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me."  But were these people in the temple, listening to Jesus dispute with the religious leaders?  Are they pilgrims to Jerusalem for the feast?  It is hard to know, but it is easy to see what their motivations are, for as Jesus has said, "by their fruits you will know them."  We can see what they demand in the end.  This crowd is a good example of why the Church has historically taught that we ought not to be driven by our passions.  It's not that we are to be depleted of passions, but that they can so often lead us astray.  Rather, our passions, in the historical view of the Church, ought to be tempered by faith, put to use given to us by God.  St. Paul writes, "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24).   The bloodlust of the crowd is a primary example of what it is we don't want to be led by in life, of just why we seek to "crucify the flesh with its passions and desires."  The crowd essentially is led by being stirred up by these corrupt leaders who in turn are led by their own passion of envy against Christ.  While we're never told we won't feel any of these things, we're constantly counseled to cultivate a dispassion.  That is, not to be led by our passions, but to submit them to our faith, and to the cultivation of our own mastery of ourselves in service to faith, so that we won't be slaves to them.  Does this crowd know what it is doing?  Do these people understand they are demanding the Christ be crucified?  How can they understand the magnitude of the sin when they don't see the magnitude of the light of Christ's holiness and goodness for the world?  This brings us to yet another aspect of the danger of being led by passion -- they blind us to the full reality of what we do, of the things in which we engage ourselves.  We're blinded to holiness and subject only to being led by that which does not want us to be fully aware of what we're doing, and of the holiness of God who is always present to us.  For this reason the Church has throughout history (as well as Jewish spiritual tradition before us) given us ways to cultivate our own good discipline, with practices of worship and prayer, and fasting so that we learn we are capable of mastering our own passions.  We also seek to fast from sin, and the things that lead us astray.  Let us consider, especially at this time when so many passions seem to be stirring all over the world for so many reasons, how important it is to remember what we are to be about, to follow Christ's words regarding our own watchfulness (Mark 13:33, 14:38), especially in times of tribulation and fearful sights.  Our passions are that much more likely to be stirred, and we do not wish to be misled with a crowd that only follows the crowd.  Our Lord has taught us to be aware, discerning, alert -- and to be good disciples.  Let us especially remember this today, even when so many forget to do so.

Hail, King of the Jews!

 

 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"  So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"  Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.  

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

 

- Mark 15:12–21 

 

Yesterday we read that immediately, in the morning, after Christ's night trial at the home of the high priest, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.  Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

 

  Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"  So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"  Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.   Three times Pilate has asked the crowd whether they want Jesus to be released and three times they demanded to release Barabbas and to crucify Jesus.  My study Bible comments that Pilate's sin was less than that of the Jewish leaders who delivered Christ to him (John 19:11), as the Jews had the Law and the prophets to instruct them, and Pilate did not.  Pilate wasn't without sin, however, as he knowingly sent an innocent Man to death, out of his desire to gratify the crowd.   That he scourged Him means that Jesus was treated as a condemned prisoner, and punished with a whip or lash which inflicts great pain.

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.  My study Bible comments that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is mockery, it's prophetic that Jesus is clothed with purple, and has a crown put on His head, and the soldiers of the governor salute and hail Him as King.  Moreover, bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  See a similar example in John 11:49-51, where Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies Christ's redemptive work.  My study Bible says that this mockery shows Jesus as the One despised and rejected by human beings who bears the iniquity of us all (see Isaiah 53:3-9). 

 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.  My study Bible comments that Mark mentions that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus as they were likely still living when this Gospel was written, and possibly even known to Mark's hearers.  The spiritual message, it says, is that we, like Simon (whose name means "obedience"), are not only called to carry the cross set on us by Christ, but seeing Christ in others, we are called to bear each other's burdens as well (Galatians 6:2).

Evil can often be said to be a time upside down, in which truth is perverted, and everything that makes sense is distorted into a false logic which is the opposite of the truth.  In this scene of false trial before the crowd, we have several elements which bear witness to this.  First of all, it was a crowd that welcome Christ into Jerusalem as Messiah a week before this event.  Are there members of that crowd here?  Are they simply stirred by whatever is passing, or whatever others are doing?  And what of the crowd which heard Him with delight as He debated with the religious leaders in the temple?  It is Mark who tells us that "the common people heard Him gladly" (Mark 12:37).  This particular crowd, representing those same people who are in Jerusalem for the Passover, seems quite different from those who were eager to hear Jesus in the temple and who welcomed Him into Jerusalem, for these are somewhat easily stirred by the religious leaders.  Perhaps there are many who simply "follow the crowd" -- but we know that in Jerusalem there are also faithful.  The second strangely inverse parallel is the name of Barabbas.  It means "son of the father" and yet we know that Christ is the true Son of the Father.  The religious leaders use their influence to rig the game, so to speak, in favor of the other "son of the father," who seems to be, according to the Gospels, a nationalist brigand and insurrectionist who has also committed murder.  What we see is a kind of exchange, in which the true Son and fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets is crucified in place of one who uses violence in the name of nationalist insurrection.  One embodies mercy, the other embodies political expediency for power, a fitting representation of these particular leaders who stir the crowd against Christ whom they know to be innocent.  And then there is Pilate, who clearly understands the envy of the religious leaders (see Mark 15:10 in yesterday's reading, above), and has found for Himself that Christ is innocent of the charges brought against Him.  He clearly knows how guilty people act, and Christ doesn't even defend Himself.  But although he is the Roman governor, he also seeks to appease the crowds.  We can understand that his job is to keep the peace as he also has to answer to Caesar.  But the Romans were also known for their law and codes, and this "order" is simply used to treat an innocent Man in the cruelest and harshest way possible.  Scourging and crucifixion were reserved for the worst criminals because of the amount of suffering they inflicted.  So the evil time -- and, we could say, the devil -- has its way in that the compassionate, loving, and merciful Lord receives the worst punishment of a system of law designed to keep a certain kind of peace.  My study Bible explicitly remarks upon the mocking acts of the soldiers hailing Christ as King, and even worshiping Him bowing their knees (see Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10), which become inadvertent prophesy.  These examples of truth turned inside out and upside down are frequently characteristic hallmarks of evil.  This is found in the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (or Tares), in which the indigestible weeds, which aren't nutritious for human beings, resemble the good wheat (see Matthew 13:24-30), also understood as a characteristic of heresy.   Evil sets up a pattern that seemingly is fully aware of the good, as it so often seeks to pattern itself in the image of the good, only suited to its own purposes through lies.  In a recent historical example, there are well-known forms of propaganda used by the Nazis which twisted seemingly good and truthful maxims into masks of order which conceal hideous truths, such as the phrase "Work makes freedom," found on concentration camp gates.  (It was originally a phrase used to describe the therapeutic value of work for rehabilitation of criminals.)  We can think of other examples of modern propaganda designed to cover up terrible abuses of power and acts of extreme destructive cruelty and violence, especially by tyrannical or totalitarian movements.  They all bear this similar stamp of perversions of truth, patterning themselves after the good in horrific imitation.  This mimicry of truths seems to indicate an awareness of the good, a deliberate choice to subvert what is understood as good and true.  And so, we can look at the nature of evil which presents itself in a pattern.  But what of our Lord, who takes on all of this voluntarily?  In the second letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes of our reconciliation in Christ, and that "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).  What this means, according to my study Bible, is that Christ voluntarily assumed the consequences of the sin of human beings, corruption and death, without sinning Himself.  He submitted to this unjust suffering we read in the Gospels because of the sinful passions of human beings and angels.  What it means is that salvation is much more than forgiveness of sins; it is rather new life -- we are reconciled to God and become new creatures.  Moreover, He is that faithful and true Witness who is ultimately the Judge of all.  Through His suffering and death, He needs no other testimony to condemn the ruler of this world who is the ultimate tyrant and cause of evil, the one ultimately responsible for the perversion of truth and misleading and suffering of human beings.  Christ once and for all takes away the justification of expediency and injustice, for in His own innocence He remains the perfect witness against the evil of the world.  The early Christians understood themselves as those who witness, following Him even to death.  The word "martyr" literally means witness in Greek.  We walk in His way, and our own innocence also contributes in metaphysical terms to this struggle which is ultimately "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Let us consider the great significance of remembering what we are about when others follow the crowd, when we are stirred to violence by those who seek power for themselves.  For as faithful we enter into His struggle and follow Him, and all of this has meaning and value and substance far beyond what we see in the moment.

 

If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead

Icon of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, circa 1800.  Palekh School.  Found at Ruzhnikov

 

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham , 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' " 

 

- Luke 16:19-31 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

 

 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."  We can see the great contrast between the rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen, and who fared sumptuously every day, and the poor beggar named Lazarus who was full of sores, was laid at his gate, and simply wanted to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  There could not be more of a marked difference between the two.  The sores all over Lazarus' body no doubt torment him, as did those of Job (Job 2:7-9).  We also read of Lazarus that moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  This may seem entirely cringe-worthy even today, let alone in the Middle East where dogs of the streets are viewed in an entirely negative light.  But we'd be surprised by the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, who writes, "Yes, it says that even the dogs licked his sores and did not injure him yet sympathized with him and cared for him. Animals relieve their own sufferings with their tongues, as they remove what pains them and gently soothe the sores. The rich man was crueler than the dogs, because he felt no sympathy or compassion for him but was completely unmerciful."

"So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried."  My study Bible comments that Abraham's bosom means heaven.  Abraham is mentioned among all the righteous, it says, because, in stark contrast to the rich man, Abraham showed hospitality to strangers (Genesis 18:1-8).  That the rich man . . . was buried is seen in patristic commentary as illustrating the state of his merciless soul, which was buried by the pleasures of the flesh.  My study Bible quotes from St. John Chrysostom, that the rich man was already buried in life by "couches, rugs, furnishings, sweet oils, perfumes, large quantities of wine, varieties of food, and flatterers."  That the rich man remains unnamed indicates that he is ultimately forgotten (see Psalm 9:6).

"And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham , 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' "  The rich man's appeal to Abraham as a spiritual father isn't rejected, my study Bible tells us.  Rather, Abraham accepts the role, calling the rich man son, and showing himself to be compassionate even towards the wretched of men.  The great gulf, my study Bible explains, isn't a geographical divide, but the complete separation between virtue and wickedness.  This is a separation, it says, that cannot be overcome after death.  His own torments have not changed the rich man's heart.  He still sees Lazarus as a servant who exists for the sake of his own comfort.  Moreover, this account by Christ teaches us the communion of the saints.  That is, a man who is not even a believer, calls out from Hades and converses with Saint Abraham.

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'"   My study Bible reports that some patristic writers see this parable as set after the final judgment, and they cite the punishment and reward being received by these two men.  Others see this parable set at a time after death, but before the second coming of Christ (and the Judgment), as the man seeks to intercede on behalf of his brothers who are still living.  My study Bible says that the torment he experiences would be only a foretaste of his final state.  From this perspective, we learn that the souls of the departed have awareness of and concern for the state of those still alive on earth (see Luke 9:30-31, Matthew 2:18, 2 Maccabees 15:12-16) -- but also that even the intercessions of a wicked person are heard, although they avail nothing (contrast to James 5:16).  

 

"But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "   My study Bible quotes St. John Chrysostom on this passage:  "The ignorance of Scripture is a great cliff and a deep abyss.   It is impossible for anyone to be without benefit if he reads continually and with attention."  Moreover, it says, the rebellious were not persuaded even when people did rise from the dead (Matthew 28:11-15, John 12:9-11). 

One thing we do know from this parable, it illustrates that the consciousness of these two men remain alive after physical death, and both experience an afterlife.  There also is Abraham, paternal ancestor of the Jews, who is seen as a spiritual elder by the rich man.  As my study Bible notes, it's significant that the rich man never has a name mentioned in the Scripture; it means that he will be ontologically "forgotten."  At its heart, this story is about compassion, and about empathy.  Even in some sense, the stray dogs -- lowest of creatures in the historic mindset of the peoples of this region -- display an empathy and have compassion on Lazarus.  They lick his sores as they would lick their own to heal.  In this sense, although what they can give is meager indeed, they offer this hurt man full of sores what they can.  But the rich man does not even offer the crumbs from his table, showing ultimately his complete lack of concern and utter abandonment of the stranger outside of his door.  It's a kind of neglect that is so absolute that it is an extreme example of self-centeredness, selfishness.  Clearly the rich man is concerned only with himself.   He still sees Lazarus beneath him in a hierarchy, as if he were his servant.  But it is too late even if Lazarus were to seek to fill the request, and Abraham make that request for the rich man.  There is a great gulf fixed between them.  It is while we remain in this world that repentance has great effect.  While we are in this world the reconsideration of our ways of thinking is so important in a spiritual sense.  Let us recall that this parable is taught immediately after the teaching that we cannot serve God and mammon (in yesterday's reading, above).  The 'laws' of material things seem to declare that the more we accumulate and use for ourselves the better, while the gospel of the kingdom would teach us that it is important to practice mercy if we desire mercy, that we we "make friends" for the kingdom of heaven by good use of what we have in this world.  Abraham is known for his hospitality.  It is to Abraham that St. Paul refers when he writes to the Hebrews, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2).  The story of Abraham intertwines with the story of Lazarus and the rich man particularly around this notion of hospitality.  It is not so much his lack of sharing of his goods, but his complete lack of awareness of the unwanted person outside of his door, the outcast whom only the dogs offer care or attention.  And this makes an extremely important point, because it makes us clear where real selfishness or self-centeredness leads.  It teaches us about the real depth of meaning in charity, that is not simply about not distributing what we have, but really about the lack of concern or awareness of another human being at all, that others have souls that need communion and belonging.   The rich man seems to make a little progress if only because he seems to consider his brothers and their ignorance of the reality he now faces.  But even that is to no avail, for his brothers also have what he always had:  Moses and the prophets.  And let us not forget that it is the Pharisees to whom Jesus speaks now, who derided Jesus for His teachings on using resources to "make friends" for the kingdom of God.  In today's reading, we're also reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan, who used his own resources to "be a neighbor" to another whom he happened to pass along the road.  In each of these cases, the concepts of hospitality, charity, neighborliness, and using resources to help others all intermingle to contrast with what it means to abandon others, to have no awareness nor empathy for those around ourselves.  This is the fundamental conflict between Lazarus and the rich man, not simply that one is rich and one is poor.   Even the dogs show a character of charity or empathy by their nature and offer what they can.  I have heard it said that to be created in the image and likeness of God is to be endowed with the potential for grace, and to express it.  Ultimately it is simple power of acknowledging others, of kindness and what is historically understood as graciousness, that makes for truly God-like behavior, the kind of character that is compatible with the energies of God in heaven.  All it takes is a word or a prayer, an awareness, a sense in which another is a neighbor.  Ultimately, it is the capacity to care that makes a distinction in this story, and the will to act on it, the compassion that makes one a neighbor.  And there are some who will remain unpersuaded though One has risen from the dead.

Hail, King of the Jews!

 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"  So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"  Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. 

Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

- Mark 15:12-21

Yesterday we read that, immediately following Jesus' night trial (and Peter's denial of Christ), in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.  Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 

 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"  So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"  Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.  It's clear from his statements that while Pilate really does not know the circumstances nor the nature of Christ's ministry,  he does see Jesus quite clearly as innocent of the charges brought against Him.  He gets no answer to his question, "Why, what evil has He done?"   My study bible comments that Pilate's sin was less than that of the Jewish leaders who delivered Christ to him (John 19:11), because the Jewish religious leaders had the Law and the prophets to instruct them -- while Pilate did not.  So there is in addition to his lack of knowledge about Jesus, there is Pilate's lack of knowledge of Jewish spiritual history and faith.  But Pilate's sin is that, in his desire to gratify the crowd, he will knowingly send an innocent to be crucified.

 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.   My study bible comments here that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is to mock, it is a prophetic act that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, in which Caiaphas unwittingly makes a prophecy regarding Christ's salvific work).  My study bible adds that this mockery shows that Jesus is the One who is despised and rejected by all, and who bears the iniquity of all (see Isaiah 53:3-9).  Here in Mark we read that they clothed Him in purple; Matthew's Gospel says red or scarlet.  But the word for purple is porphyra/πορφύρα, a royal color of reddish-purple.  (It's also known as Tyrian purple or Tyrian red, made with a rare and extraordinarily expensive dye; see this image).   My study bible comments that this deep reddish-purple colored robe represents both Christ's royalty and also the sins of humanity, which He has taken upon Himself.

 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.  My study bible says that Mark mentions Alexander and Rufus as they were likely still living, and possibly even known to those who would first hear Mark's Gospel.  It notes that the spiritual message here is that we, like Simon (whose name means "obedience") are called not simply to carry the cross which Christ has set upon us, but also seeing Christ in others, we are called to bear one another's burdens as well (Galatians 6:2). 

We receive many images in today's reading, which form something like icons for our understanding of our faith.  Christ's mocking -- dressed in the red/purple robe, with a crown of sorts, and even soldiers bowing their knees to worship -- forms a prophecy despite its intent.  If we see through the strangeness of the time and its malice and evil, we also see its irony, that it is telling something -- despite all intent to the contrary -- which is nevertheless true.  In Romans 14:11, St. Paul quotes from Isaiah 45:23:  " For it is written:  'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.' "   St. Paul also writes, ". . . that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth . . ." (Philippians 2:10).  The soldiers, in effect, are unconsciously mimicking what they don't understand, even in calling Christ a King.  And there is another spiritual image or "icon" we're inadvertently given, also at the direction of the Roman soldiers, that of Simon called to carry Christ's cross.  There is a depth of meaning there that not only calls us to bear one another's crosses in times of suffering, as my study bible notes, but moreover that our lives are lived in the very participation of Christ's Cross as well.  That is, each of us will have our own crosses to bear, and we look to Christ's crucifixion to teach us about doing so with grace and forbearance.  If we could but remember that it is also our work to help one another to do so as well, we would go a long ways to coming to terms with an idea of what Christ's Church should look like, what it should mean that we are one Body, and brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are called to live in a particular way, with particular meanings and values that transcend everything, so that even in this scene of evil -- the innocent condemned to suffer and die -- we find words and actions of prophesy, that tell the truth to us instead of the lie.  This is the way that Christ's life and truth shapes the reality of who we are, regardless of circumstances.  These are images that tell us that even in the worst of things, we can find the place where Christ's life bears fruit in us, a way that we follow Him, a way that His truth will come to bear upon each and every one of our circumstances.  Let us remember that He is at work, even through all things, with faith as our guidance.